A day after Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones stood with President Donald Trump in Washington as he signed an executive order intended to prevent transgender athletes from competing in women's sports, he returned to Georgia where state Senate Republicans made a similar move.

ATLANTA – The Republican-controlled Georgia Senate moved to purge transgender athletes from female teams Thursday in a near party-line vote.

It was a victory for Republican lawmakers at the state Capitol. The state senate passed a bill banning transgender athletes from competing in girls' sports. Two Democrats joined Republicans in voting for the controversial legislation.

ATLANTA, GA — The Georgia Senate votes to advance a bill that bans transgender athletes from girls sports. In a vigorous debate that lasted two hours, senators went back and forth over supporting the measure to require students play on teams that match their biological gender.

A state Senate bill that would bar transgender athletes from competing in girls' sports in Georgia moved one step closer to becoming law on Thursday.

But in the end, Senators passed SB 1 to ban transgender girls from playing girls' sports in Georgia public schools and colleges. Transgender sports is a big campaign issue for Republicans but two Democrats crossed the aisle to vote for it as well.

The Georgia Senate passed a bill Thursday that bans males from participating in female sports by a vote of 35-17.

The Georgia transgender bill’s sponsor also suggested that the body will take action to ban puberty-blocking drugs.

The Republican-controlled Georgia Senate moved to purge transgender athletes from female teams Thursday in a near party-line vote. Senate Bill 1 would prohibit public school and state college students from competing on teams that do not match the sex on their birth certificates.

Sex and school sports will be a priority for both chambers of Georgia’s General Assembly this year, with House Speaker Jon Burns announcing Tuesday that his caucus will